Organisers say Christmas Market drew 600,000 visitors

Record crowds, benign winter weather and ‘not a mark left on the grass’ looks to have secured the future of the Galway Christmas Market for the coming years.

Organisers of the market said this week that the 2016 event attracted visitor numbers of over 600,000 people with the majority of them (85%) coming from outside the urban area.

Over one quarter of those visitors also booked in for an overnight stay in the city, while the market-goers went on spend money in local retail outlets, shops and restaurants.

Event Organisers, Maria Moynihan Lee, told the Galway City Tribune that this year’s market had been a wonderful success.

“We had a lovely period of weather over the five weeks of the market from November 18 to December 22, and of course this made the experience a lot more pleasant for everyone.

“The big wheel was a spectacular attraction – and especially so when lit up at night-time – while there was a great reaction to the various food outlets and retail stalls,” said Maria Moynihan Lee.

She said that it was estimated that for every €1 people spent at the market, on average, they spent a further €4 in local shops, pubs and restaurants.

The market – now with its seventh year completed – is one of the big winter tourist attractions of the city and with this year’s site rejigging, the grass area of Eyre Square hasn’t been impacted upon.

“The response from the public really has been overwhelmingly positive and although we’re all very tired, we’re already looking forward to the 2017 event,” said Ms Moynihan Lee.

For the rest of this story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune.
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